Method of and apparatus for protecting the bearings of suction-cleaners



H. w. HOOVER. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING THE BEARINGS 0F SUCTION c LEANERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. I917.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920..

Even/2, 07" irerf Wfiover UNITE STATES PATENT ctr-ice.

HERBERT w. HOOVER, orfunw ssiimm, onxo, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOOVER sUc'rIon 'SWEEPER COMPANY, OF' NEW BERLIN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD or AND APPARATUS FOR rno'rncrine THE BEARINGS crewman-CLEANERS.

Application filed July 26,

To all whom) it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. HOOVER, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding at New Berlin, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Im rovement in Methods of and Apparatus for Protecting the Bearings of Suction-Cleaners, of-which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of protecting the bearings and associated parts of a suction cleaner from fouling.

A vacuum or suction cleaner is a device which moves over the floor or other surface to be cleaned and is provided with mechanism whereby a current of air is steadily moved over the surface being cleaned from the surrounding atmosphere into and through the cleaner. It is, in the form of device to which my invention has reference, necessary to, have a brush which rotates in the inlet mouth of the cleaner. This brush, of course, has .bearings and ends which are more or less exposed. There is constantly going through the cleaner a variety of ob-. jects peculiarly adapted to interfere with the bearings so as to clog the brush roll. Pieces of string, hair and fibrous material of various sorts and other foreign matters are constantly passing through such cleaner. The particular object of my invention is to provide protection against injury to, interference with or cloggin of the bearings and associated parts, an particularly such action by strings, hair, fibrous material and other foreign substances.

In such cleaning apparatus, it is desirable that no very great amount of opening should exist anywhere except at the place where the cleaning is being done because that would tend to interfere" with the cleaning action. However, by. my present invention I have opened two channels from the outside into the case at a point where air may thus be forcibly drawn and discharged across the danger zone, that is, with relation to the bearings and associated parts so that the clogging objects which would other.- wise tend to move toward the bearings and associated parts are diverted therefrom.' Of course, the particular arrangement of the parts would vary enormously owing to the various requirements of the designs which would be from time 'to time made for particular machines for particular p'ur- Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented Aug. 17,1920.

1917. Serial No. 182,827.

poses. There is, however, always a point or area or annular space or the like through which the materials entering the cleaner must pass in order to reach the bearing and its associated parts and the rotational action of'the brush and its associate members will usually tend to urge or force such fibrous material to travel through such space or danger zone into the bearing. It

is to prevent this action that my invention is designed.

For the purpose of illustrating my process I have here shown more or less diagram .matically some sketches which show its application to a particular form of machine, though of course it,will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the use of my process with any particular structure or to its peculiarity as developed in connection with any specific structure.

The space or area or particularly the annular space about the bearing or the en-' trance to the bearing or its associated parts throu hwhich such fouling substances must pass have called the danger zone. The tendency of the'material to pass through that zone to the bearing and associated parts may be due to various causes, among. others to the vibration of the surfaces or centrifugal motion or the movement of currents of air induced by the shape of the parts or their movement. It is the purpose of my invention to direct a counter current of air to or through this danger zone counter to any such possible current or tendencies of movement of air or fouling substances toward the bearings and their associated parts.

1 'The suction cleaner which I have selected 'as an exemplification of my invention is 1 Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the nozzle;

Fig. 4 is a detail of a part of the brush supportin mechanism.

Like parts are indicated by like char- :acters in all the figures.

A is a suction cleaner nozzle casinghaving an open cleaning mouth as indicated. The end walls of the casing are slotted as at A These slots are closed by supporting plates A provided with pins A engaging perforations in the end walls. These plates A are slotted at A to permit adjustable movement-of the shaft A therealong. This shaft has at either end a washer A engaging the plate A and a nut A screw-threaded thereon adapted to force the washer against the plate so that tightening'the nuts will result in putting the shaft under tension and looking all the parts together by pressing in the end walls.

B is a hollow brush body. At either end is a wood or fiber or other suitable bearing sleeve B rotatably mounted on the shaft A The body B carries beatin and sweeping bristles B and a pulley E over which travels a belt B driven by any suitable source of power not here shown to rotate the brush. B are flanges at either end of the brush body and integral therewith.

C is a cup-shaped thread guard, the outer cup-like wall or flange 0 thereof surrounding but being just out of engagement with the outer periphery of the flange. The bottom of this thread guard at its center is rovided with an inwardly extending boss engaging the outwardly projecting end of the bearing sleeve B. This boss is apertured and makes 'a snug close fit on the shaft A the parts being so arranged that this cup-shaped thread guard rests against the inside of the end wall of the nozzle. The boss C is counter bored at C around the shaft. C is an air passage extending through such boss communicating at one end with the space between the end of the brush and the cup-shaped thread guard, and at the other end with the counter bore C so as to permit free access of the air from the outside through the slot A counter bore C and air passage C whereby a blast or current of air may pass in through the annular opening between the flange on the brush body and the thread guard throu h the' danger zone toward and along t e brush. v

E is a fan chamber which contains a fan not here shown driven by the motor which drives the brush. The fan induces a current of air upwardly through the mouth or nozzle'past the brush and out to the discharge. The motion of this current of air t and the action of the fan also induces the current of air through the air passage referred to, although-the current of air could be induced in any other desired way.

It is, of course, understood that I have merely illustrated a specific type of suction cleaner with my invention illustrated'thereon, but itis perfectly obvious that my vention and my process might equally well be applied to any number of different typesvof suction cleaners, and of course I wish it understood that my claims and my specification and my invention are in nowise limited to this specific structure herewith illustrated.

In my preferred form I draw the air in through the end wall of the case so that a current of air is directed against the end of the brush and away from that end into the interior of the casing. This provides a stream of clean fresh air. It will be perfectly evident of course that any suitable stream of any kind of air from any suitable source induced in any way would still 0perate to hold off material which might otherwise clog the brush and wedge between the end of the brush sleeve and its support, and of course I wish to have my invention understood as covering any such stream of air.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows No matter what the structure, arrangement or position of the several parts, the passageway from outside into the casing across or through the danger zone is always open and so long as the suction operates to draw air in through the nozzle and past the brush air will also be drawn through the end passageway through the danger zone so as to protect the bearings. I have not illustrated the mechanism for aroducing the current of air, but that is 0 course an essential part of every suction cleaner. The passage of this secondary current of air through the danger zone obviously prevents the passage of foreign materials therethrough, and holds such material away from the danger zone even if such material be attached to the brush or brush parts.

Broadly considered the invention here involved is the process of protecting the bearing and associated end parts of a shaft or rotating part, which part rotates in a dust charged chamber or casing under conditions which, were it not for the use of this invention, would result in the dust laden particles finding their way to the bearing. The invention consists in taking a clean current of air and driving it about the bearing and through a space which intervenes between the bearing and the dust laden atmosphere or current of foul air.

This application is a co-pending applicationtomy application 182,828, for an apparatus embracmg a process here sought to be covered.

I claim I v v 1. The process of protecting the end parts of a rotating device which is mounted in a casing through which dust laden air passes, from the accumulation of matter carried by the air between the end of such rotating part and the adjacent wall portion of the casing, which consists in directing a protecting current of air through the space between the end of the rotating "-'part and the adjacent wall of the casing in opposition to the current of dust laden air, to deflect the same away from such space.

2. The process of protecting the end parts of a rotating device which is mounted in a casing through which dust laden air passes, from the accumulation of matter carried by the air between the end of such rotating part and the adjacent wall portion of the casing, which consists in directing an annular protecting current of air through the space between the end of the rotating part and the adjacent wall of the casing in opposition to the current of dust laden air, to deflect the same away from such space.

3. The process of protecting the end parts of a rotating device which is mountedin a casing through which dust laden air passes, from the accumulation of matter carried by the air between the end of such rotating part and the adjacent wall portion of the casing, which consists in directing a protecting current of air from outside such wall of the casing, through the space between the ends of the rotating part and the adjacentwall of the casing in opposition to the current of dust laden air, to deflect the same away from such space.

4. The process of protecting the end parts of a rotating device which is mounted in a casing through which dust laden air passes, from the accumulation of matter carried by the air between the end of such rotating part and the adjacent Wall portion of the casing, which consists in directing an annular protecting current of air from outside such wall of the casing, through the space between the ends of the rotating part and the adjacent wall of the casing in opposltion to the current of dust laden air, to deflect the same away from such space.

5. Ina suction sweeper the combination witha cleaning hood having abrush rotatably. mounted therein, of means for preventing the accumulation of foreign substances and the winding of hair, thread and the like about the ends of the brush, said means comprising a guard inclosing a portion of theend of the brush and means for supplying a current of air between the guard and the brush through an aperture in said guard. Y

6. In a suction cleaner the combination 1 with a hood having an inlet slot with means for inducing a current of air to flow from the slot through the hood and outwardly to the dust receptacle and a brush mounted in the hood said hood provided with an airinlet adjacent the end of the brush whereby a current of air is introduced past the ends' and bearings of the brush. V

7. A brush device comprising a brush body having a flange like enlargement at one end in. combination with a cup-shaped thread guard whose diameter is greater air from such zone.

. such zone.

'like body and not in contact therewith, a

wall of said cup-shaped thread uard perforated to permit air from outsi e to freely flow through the passage through the cup and between the flange and cup.

8. The combination of a hood having an inlet and outlet with means for drawing a current of dust laden air therethrough, a part rotatably mounted in the hood in the path of such dust laden air and means for preventing the accumulation-of matter carried by such air in the zone betweenthe end of the rotating part and the adjacent wall portion of the hood and comprising means for directing a protecting air current through such zone to deflect the dust laden 9. The combination of a hood" having an inlet and outlet with means for drawing a part rotatably mounted in the hood in the path of such dust laden air and means for preventing the accumulation of matter carried by such air in the zone between the end of the rotating part and the adjacent wall gortion of the hood comprising means for irecting an annular protecting air current through such zone to deflect the dust laden air from such zone.

10. The combination of a hood having an inlet and outlet with means for drawing a current of dust laden air therethrough, a part'rotatably mounted in the hood in the path ofsuch dust laden air and means for preventing the accumulation of matter carried by such air in the zone between the end of the rotating part and the adjacent wall portion of the hood comprising means for of the rotating part and the adjacent wall port1on of the hood comprising means for drawing an annular protecting air current from outside such wall portion, through suchfzone to deflect the dust laden air from In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 5th day of July, 1917.

W. G. Voo'r. 

